1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capsule endoscope having external terminals, and a capsule endoscope guidance system and a capsule endoscope holder which are capable of holding such a capsule endoscope at a distal end of an endoscope, and the like, for guidance thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A capsule endoscope, which has been recently developed, captures images of the inside of a lumen (inside a patient's body) with an electronic camera equipped with a built-in image pickup device such as a CMOS image sensor while illuminating the inside of the lumen with a light source housed within a sealed capsule container. Thereafter, the capsule endoscope wirelessly transmits the captured image signals outside the patient's body. A processor for capsule observation, which is provided externally, receives the transmitted image signals so as to display the images on a screen of a monitor television or the like (JP 2001-245844 and the like). A user views this monitor television screen so as to observe and examine the state of a body cavity of the patient. Electronic parts in the capsule endoscope, such as the light source and the image pickup device, are powered by a battery included within the capsule container as a power source.
Such a capsule endoscope is orally inserted into the patient by swallowing the capsule endoscope so as to move from the esophagus through to the stomach, the duodenum and subsequently the small intestine. In the body cavity, the capsule endoscope is propelled by peristalsis of the intestines and the like. The capsule endoscope produces images with the electronic camera under the illumination of the light source as the capsule moves so as to wirelessly transmit the captured image signals.
For such a capsule endoscope without any self-advancing function and position control function, however, the user can not control how, and in which direction, the capsule endoscope advances after the capsule endoscope enters the body cavity of a patient. For example, as shown in FIG. 22 illustrating a human body, in the case where the first target application-position which is desired to be imaged, observed, examined, and the like, with the capsule endoscope, is distant from the mouth, it is impossible to know in which way and in which direction the capsule endoscope would reach the target application-position. Therefore, it cannot be ensured that the capsule endoscope reaches the target application-position with a sate desired by the user. Moreover, in the case where the first target application-position is distant from the mouth, a lot of time is wasted waiting for the capsule endoscope to reach the target application-position, thereby wasting the power of an internal battery for imaging, transmission and the like. Thus, the capacity of the internal battery needs be increased as much as possible.